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South Africa is located on the southern-most tip of Africa - a land where two great oceans meet, warm weather lasts most of the year, and big game roams just beyond the city lights. Spring is regarded as one of the best seasons in South Africa … one of the reasons for selecting September for the XXV IASP World Conference 2008!
Johannesburg, a city of skyscrapers, sprawls wider than London or New York. Pretoria is the executive capital that houses the government administration, and Cape Town is the legislative capital. Over 50 airlines and more than 20 million passengers a year move through South Africa's nine principal airports, including the three major international airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
South Africa has the most developed telecommunications network in Africa. Its world-class, sophisticated financial sector is aligned with the latest technological trends. From the moment you step off the plane you'll see banks, bureaux de change and automatic tellers (ATMs). All major credit cards can be used in South Africa, with American Express and Diners Club enjoying less universal acceptance than MasterCard and Visa.
An hour's drive from the urban 'jungles' of Pretoria and Johannesburg, you can see lions, elephants, buffalo and many more species in one of the country's many game farms and nature reserves. South Africa's winelands, its golden beaches, spectacular scenery ranging from mountains to deserts, and its eco-systems found nowhere else in the world, are some of the many reasons for visiting this vibrant country.
"South Africa has achieved much since the dawn of political freedom thirteen years ago. The first decade of freedom for us was about reconstruction and development. … South Africans are today working together to confront and overcome some of the greatest challenges that face not only ourselves but millions across the globe." Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka, June 2007
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Overview of South Africa
